Hawaii’s tipping culture is leaving both visitors and residents questioning whether it’s becoming too much. With tipping now expected in nearly every situation, from restaurants to pre-packaged items at cafes, is the practice becoming exploitative? How tipping impacts Hawaii’s service industry is unique, and the balance between fairness and expectation is complicated.
An example of employer misuse of tipping is instead of paying a liveable wage to crew and capt long term instead say that their pay is determined by tip which indicates their capability on the tour. So guests with no idea of the expectations or obstacles and are responsible for evaluating performance? That seems unfair as waves, wind, rain and the guests own sea sickness affects their tips.
I too get really cranky when getting a tip request for take out. Although if this is a small neighborhood business or I am confident the money goes to the workers then I’ll click 10 or 15%.
This article is right on that tipping is now an exploitive practice but has been so engrained in our economy. Both presidential candidates have stated a position that tips should not be taxed. On face of this, it sounds like a great deal for workers but in reality it another excuse for businesses to not pay living wages since people would be increasingly paid by tips and not taxed wages.
There is also an argument that by keeping prices lower with optional tipping allows those who are willing/able to tip more to do so and subsidize those who won’t/can’t.
Tipping also brings out and reinforces racism, sexism, xenophobia and all kinds of biases.
I had to have a mitigation company clean up a water damage in my condo in Hawaii for around to $9000. When I went to payment for it online, I was asked to tip. I was already upset that we were dealing with cleaning up all the damage the water caused ($80000 which covered multiple units) which luckily was covered by insurance, but to ask for a tip? I thought that was out of line.
I use a designated dining credit card wherever possible, but choose to give a cash tip for waiters & servers. They truly appreciate it.
Mahalo to BOH for all you do!
Go out to eat, you tip, get a prepackaged meal and leave you do not tip. Valets, tour guides, luggage handlers you
tip. If you don’t like tipping stay home and eat pbjs.
If you need to read up on how to tip on your trip, stay at home.
Thanks,
The Rest of the Planet
That’s not fair at all. So you’re saying if you’ve never been to Hawaii and you want to know what’s proper don’t bother reading about it and don’t go.
Provide no tips and force the owners of businesses to compensate their help a living wage or more. Tell the owners to cough up, raise their prices, or get out of the business. Like most of the world, we should get to a no-tip, raise-the-prices society that operates sanely and fairly.
This has gotten to a point of ridiculousness. Shall we start a movement so that workers are properly compensated and no one asks for or expects a tip?
For exceptional service well beyond the norm, a 5 to 10% tip is warranted and should be happily accepted as an out-of-the norm gratuity by workers earning $40 to $80/hour, with benefits for those working more than 15 hours per week.
Workers and consumers unite!
Aloha,
I tip when I am served. That’s what tipping is for, good service. If I go to a counter or drive thru for food, I don’t tip. I will tip if I go to Starbucks on Christmas day because I think it sucks that they are even open. I tip pizza delivery guys but I refuse to use the apps that deliver everything and want you to tip before it’s delivered. I usually tip $5 for valet and even more if I have suitcases in the car. Since Covid and hurricane damaged Caribbean islands, I have been an over tipper knowing that the shutdowns deeply affected them.
exploitative? Yes Indeed. Glad you have this article. I am from the generation that worked and worked hard. We did not have flex hours. I went to work an hour earlier and stayed late and took work home. People are coddled now and I will not be a part of it. I will not overly tip and I only tip what service is performed at restaurants. I do 20 percent now but hate every second of it, because the owners of the business Should be paying an appropriate salary. So I have decided in 2025, I will go back to 15%. I will not pay for the Greed from the wealthy any longer!
I do so little “tourist” oriented stuff when home that I rarely see the most egregious tipping situations. I patronize mostly local small businesses and the supermarkets that operate here. Don Quijote’s is my favorite. I tip generously when deserved to support local people. However, when I get poor service (rarely) or a product that does not meet my expectations I have no qualms about not leaving a tip regardless of “stink eye”. They wanna make a remark in pidgin? I can come right back in it… Don’t let yourself be pressured. The tip should equal the value of the service or product provided.
Best Regards
To add to the problem, it is becoming less common for consumers to carry cash. It’s not an issue if Venmo or Zelle is a reasonable option, but in many situations, cash is the only viable means of tipping.
I refuse to tip a cashier for doing the basics of their job when ringing up a Coke or a sandwich. That’s ridiculous.
So …
20-25% for meals/drinks
$10 for valet
$2/bag for airport shuttles
We have been coming to Kauai for years and have gotten to know a number of the longtime service people. We recognize how hard and cheerfully they work and we have no problem rewarding them for it.
Square and all the other electronic payment systems present tipping as an option everywhere, not just in Hawaii. The defaults start at 15%. Which seems ridiculous to me. What’s even more ridiculous is that you have to touch the screen to enter or deny the tip. Who wants to touch a screen that 100s of others have used. Contactless payments – HAHA, what a joke. But this is not a Hawaii phenomenon – it’s everywhere and it’s annoying everywhere. Better to pay with an app on your own phone, and avoid all of this tip Shaming.
So the bill our table of 4 is $160. We tip 20% wish comes to $ 32.
The waiter does 6 tables like ours in 1 hour. So his tip money is $192. -10% for the kitchen. So he makes $170 in our on tips.
Hm how much do I make?
I’m ok with tipping for goos service. But it is getting to much.
Tipping is a North American custom, and one I abhor. As a customer I have no say in what employees are paid, and resent being guilted into subsidizing their pay. Cruise lines are the worst offenders, routinely adding $18 or more per day, per person to your onboard account. Tipping is supposed to be optional and perhaps if more people pushed back and put down “0” , employers might get the message. Otherwise it just becomes another underhanded, but easy revenue source, and enables the employer to pay less than a living wage.
In California the prices are outrageous for everything. I’m a senior living on a fixed income. My friends and I like to go out for lunch or dinner sometimes. It has become our habit tip less than before because we can’t afford to do so. And none of us tip for anything regarding food unless we are seated at a table and someone serves us. I was in Malaysia and Singapore and tips are Not done there. You know the price of everything and no tips are ever expected. In fact, it’s considered an insult to tip. So, I got in a taxi at the airport, asked for the price to my hotel and gave exactly that and the driver was so happy. In restaurants it was great to just give the price of the listed meal. I wish it were that way here.